The Pool Boy
by DouglasDaleray
Summary: This is an episode that I wrote that could help the show keep going after it was canceled. It is my tribute to the show I love so much.


Horatio, sunglasses in his fingertips, walked into the side door and found her body lying behind the kitchen island face down. The towel wrapped around her was the only thing she was wearing. The pool of her blood had spread widely across the tiled floor. He could tell that she had bled out quickly. It was apparent someone wanted her dead and wanted her to die fast. That happens with a slit throat.

Then Horatio looked out the kitchen window overlooking the patio leading to the pool.

Frank saw him look there. "Got something Horatio?"

"The pool," he said with a pause, "It's stained red."

He and Frank walked out the back door onto the patio. Floating in the pool was a male's body dressed in a tee shirt and shorts.

Frank grabbed the pool skimmer and pulled the body close to the edge. "Horatio, he was shot."

Horatio slipped on his sunglasses, paused as he looked at Frank and said, "Well, so much for the pool boy."

***************************************

"I didn't expect to find you here. You are supposed to be busy being a mom now," Eric said with a smirk as he put his kit down inside the doorway.

"Really? No welcome back?" Calliegh responded with that drop dead smile.

Eric, his casual smile on his face, said, "Oh Calliegh, you are always a welcome sight."

"Now, that's better. It's good to be back. And it's good to be a mom," she said as she reached down with her rubber gloved hand.

"Whatcha got?" Eric said as he stood beside Calliegh as she came back up.

"A nine millimeter round in the casing. I thought Horatio said that the pool boy was killed with a .38?"

"He was."

"Then Eric, what's this nine mill doing here? Something is not adding up."

"Then we better find the pieces so it does."

Eric picked up his processing kit and walked around to the opposite side of Calliegh. While she put the nine millimeter in an evidence bag, Eric looked around the perimeter of the kitchen with his UV light. He did not know for what he was looking. Obviously, it was anything he could find. Then he saw it.

"Calliegh, wasn't the victim found near where you are standing?"

"Yeah, behind the island. Why?"

"Because you are standing in a cleaned up blood pool."

Calliegh stopped what she was doing immediately and simply stood there. She blankly stared at Eric as he looked at her.

Both shocked, Calliegh spoke, "We have another murder! We better get the luminol."

****************************************

Horatio stepped inside the lab where Natalia was running tests on the seminal fluid found inside, Victoria Kase, the victim. He was hoping what Dr. Loman found would come up in CODIS.

"Ms. Boa Vista," he said with a smile.

"What a way to go, Horatio. Poor girl thought she was safe. Looks like she found another monster instead."

"We need that monster's DNA, Ms. Boa Vista."

"Working on it Horatio," Natalia said as she put the vial's sample in the thermal cycler. "Won't be long now.

Horatio's phone rang as the cycler finished. He watched Natalia then take the sample and feed it into the DNA reader hooked to CODIS as he listened to his caller.

As he hung up, there was a hit in CODIS.

Natalia looked at the computer's screen and then turned to Horatio.

Horatio read the name as Natalia said, "Really Horatio, that can't be right."

Horatio pulled out his phone and hit one button. When the recipient answered, Horatio said, "Mr. Wolfe, we need to talk."

****************************************

"Victoria Kase, Mr. Wolfe?"

Ryan looked at Horatio and ran his hand over his face. "H., we've been dating for about a month now. I didn't want to say anything about her yet until I really knew if it was going anywhere."

"It won't be going anywhere now will it?"

"Come on H. Really? Our relationship will not get in the way of my work. You of all people should know that."

"Like I said. It won't be going anywhere. She's dead."

Ryan looked at him with a blank look. "She's what? How?"

"That's what I want you to answer. You were obviously with her last night. Your DNA was found inside her."

"Well, we were dating, Horatio!" Ryan answered as he walked over to look out the window of the crime lab. When he turned around, he looked at Horatio and continued, "Wait a minute. You don't think I killed her?"

Horatio looked down and then up. He did not even need to say anything.

"H., I may have had sex with her last night, but I did not kill her. You've got to believe me. I can't believe this is happening again. Why me?" Ryan looked at Horatio and raised his hands in the air.

Horatio turned and walked out of the interrogation room. Detective Tripp had been watching him question Ryan.

"Frank, don't let him out of your sight."

"You got it Horatio. Watching him like a hawk."

****************************************

"Oh my God, Eric. What happened here? This place is lit up like a full moon night!" Calliegh exclaimed as she looked at all the blood that had been cleaned.

"What the... What produced this much blood loss? It couldn't have come from the two victims. Who would be so stupid to clean it up and leave the victims?"

"What about the knife and gun? Why haven't we found them yet?"

"I don't know Calliegh. This whole thing is a mystery," Eric answered and looked down, "But there's got to be some trace somewhere. With all the splatter, there has got to be some left. We just have to find it," Eric said and surveilled the room again.

Eric and Calliegh were doing all they could to find any trace evidence. They were unaware that Horatio had walked into the room.

Horatio observed what they had found. Then he shined his flashlight on the corner baseboard by the refrigerator. He saw a speck of crimson.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," he spoke.

Eric and Calliegh turned around only to see Horatio move closer to what he had found.

"Eric, is that dried blood?"

"Looks like it."

"I'll swab it and get it to Natalia back at the lab. I want to run tests on that nine mill anyway."

"Calliegh, if it comes back to Mr. Wolfe, call me first," Horatio said and turned and walked out the door.

Calliegh shot a very peculiar look towards Eric. Eric looked at her with an astonished look as well.

"Now why do you think Horatio said that?" Calliegh retorted.

Eric shrugged and said with a smile, "Maybe the victim was Ryan's girlfriend."

"Eric, that's not funny," Calliegh answered and walked out the door.

*****************************************

"Ryan, you really should not be down here," Dr. Loman said as he found Ryan looking over Victoria's cold body.

"Don't tell me what I shouldn't be, Tom. I was dating her."

"Precisely why you should not be down here. You are a suspect."

"Suspect my ass! I have not been charged with anything and I won't be!"

"It's okay Tom, let Ryan stay," Natalia spoke as her high heels clicked on the tiled floor.

Tom walked away as Natalia approached.

"I didn't kill her Natalia."

"Ryan, I know that. Horatio knows that. We just have to find out who did."

"I need to help."

"Oh no Ryan. You are too close to this. You need to stay out of it."

"Ms. Boa Vista is right Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said as he approached both of them standing over Victoria's body.

"You've got to promise you'll find the son of a bitch that did this, H."

"We will, Mr. Wolfe. We will."

****************************************

"Hey Calliegh, great to have you back! Horatio said you had some trace for me?"

"Yeah Natalia. Can you run this sample and be quick about it?"

"As soon as I have something, you'll be the first to know!" Natalia said and went to work.

Calliegh exited and almost ran into Walter walking by.

"Hey Walter, want to lend me a hand?"

"You don't have to ask me twice. What are we looking for?"

"Any signs of trace on this," Calliegh said and pulled the bag out that held the nine millimeter round.

"That's not a thirty-eight."

"No, it isn't. Which is why I need your help. We have to find out who it belongs too."

"Well, I hope it doesn't belong to Wolfe."

"Okay, what is it with Ryan and this nine mill? Horatio said something similar at the crime scene. What is it that I don't know?"

"Aw come on Calliegh. Really? You haven't heard? Wolfe was dating the victim. It was his DNA found inside her."

"Wow, Eric was right," Calliegh said with a pause, "And now Ryan is a suspect."

"Well, yes and no. Tripp is watching him."

"Ryan's not a killer."

"Technically, Calliegh, he is," Walter said with a laugh.

"Murderer then. Ryan is not a murderer," Calliegh said with a smile.

Natalia came running in as Calliegh pulled her eyes from the nine mill. She had found prints on it and was anxious for the results.

Walter looked up and saw the expression on Natalia's face. "Oh, I know that look. It says there is another surprise coming."

"You could say that. That sample you brought in Calliegh, it belonged to the pool boy."

"The pool boy? That would mean..."

"He was thrown into the pool as a cover-up," Walter interrupted Calliegh and pulled out his phone.

"Hey Tom, the pool boy, his body is still down there right? Okay, was there any signs of an actual drowning?"

"I was just getting ready to call Horatio. This man did not die in the pool. This man was dumped in the pool after he died. If he had been shot and landed in the pool, there would have been time for water to be in his lungs. He did not die immediately."

Walter hit the phone's button and cut off the call.

"Well?" Natalia looked at him and asked.

"He was most definitely not drowned. He was killed first then dumped in the pool. There was no water in his lungs."

"Which explains the cleaned up blood pool Eric and I found in the kitchen," Calliegh said.

Then the report of the nine millimeter sounded. Calliegh turned around and read it. She ran out of the room without saying anything.

*****************************************

"Who in their bright mind would clean up the scene and throw one of the victims in the pool? More so, why kill one with a knife and the other with a gun?" Eric stated as he looked at Walter.

"Damned if I know, but Eric, I'm telling you, it has to be here," Walter said as he looked at the wall which the refrigerator hugged.

"The body had to be lying about here, which would mean he had to be standing about here when he was shot, right?"

"Yeah and according to the through and through, it was angled like this," Eric responded as he gestured his arms with a slight slant.

"So, if we position the dummy like this and light it up, it should tell us where the slug is."

Walter positioned the forensic dummy and stuck the laser in the direction the bullet took through the pool boy. He clicked it on and it aimed down where Victoria Kase was found.

"This can't be right. It's aimed at the floor where she was found," Walter said and looked at Eric.

"But, what if we turned it like this," Eric said and turned the dummy the opposite way, and the laser pointed to the crack between the freezer and refrigerator door.

"Really? Our slug is in the fridge chilling." Walter said and shook his head.

****************************************

"H., I can explain."

"I'm listening Mr. Wolfe."

"I was showing Victoria my gun. I know I am not supposed to do that, but I did not see any harm in it. I emptied the chamber first. I forgot to pick it up."

"You do realize how this looks Mr. Wolfe?"

"Yes, Horatio. I do. I loved her H."

"I can tell."

"Are you gonna charge me H.?"

"With what Mr. Wolfe? It wasn't a nine mill that killed the pool boy," Horatio said and walked out of the room.

He looked at Tripp as he walked out. Frank knew what he was supposed to do.

*****************************************

Walter opened the refrigerator door and saw the .38 slug jammed into the back of it. He shook his head as Eric began to laugh.

"Just when you think you've seen it all."

"What do you say we serve this .38 special up on a plate to Calliegh?" Walter said and reached in with the forensic pliers and pulled the slug from the plastic lining of the fridge.

He placed it in an evidence cup, looked at Eric and said, "I still don't get it. Why the cleanup?"

"Maybe we will have the answer after Calliegh runs ballistics."

"Well, we better. This is one crazy case," Walter said as he grabbed the forensic dummy and headed out the door.

Eric was right behind him when he heard a rustling in the bushes.

"Walter, you hear that? We have company." Eric drew his glock and slowly made his way to the sound. It was beside the house between the garage and the bushes. Walter headed the opposite way, his gun in his hand.

"Miami-Dade police, hold it! Don't you even think about moving!" Walter yelled and Eric came out and stood with his gun pointed.

Walter put his gun away as Eric continued to point his as Walter put the handcuffs on the suspect.

"Man, I didn't do anything!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say. Now come on!"

*****************************************

Victor Kase sat behind the table nonchalantly. Tripp watched him from the hall while Calliegh ran ballistics on the slug Walter and Eric found in the refrigerator.

"Is he squriming Frank?"

"No Horatio. He's been sitting there like a slug."

"Well, time to make that slug talk," Horatio said and opened the door and walked in, Frank in tow.

"Victor Kase, twin brother of the victim."

"Yeah, so?"

"Visiting the scene of the crime?

"It is where my sister lived."

"And where Victoria was killed. Where have you been since?"

"Nowhere."

"But, you were found hiding at her house and you ran. Why didn't you come forward?"

"I was scared okay? I was looking at a crime scene. My sister's crime scene. Wouldn't you run if you were caught looking at one?"

"Only if I had something to hide," answered Horatio as Calliegh came and stood and held up her findings.

"Watch him Frank."

Horatio exited and said, "What'd you find Calliegh?"

"The .38 slug came back to a gun owned by the pool boy. I traced the bullet sold at the gun shop down the road. The owner provided me with the name who bought it."

"The pool boy huh? We need to find that gun and I believe I know where," Horatio said and returned back to the room with Frank and the suspect.

While Calliegh watched, Ryan walked up to her.

"That the suspect."

"Horatio thinks so."

"Just wait until I get my hands on him."

"Now Ryan, we do not know for sure. Don't jump to conclusions."

"Calliegh, my girlfriend is lying in the morgue!"

"I know Ryan, and when you get closure, you'll feel better."

"Easy for you to say," Ryan answered, wishing he was in the room with Tripp and H.

*****************************************

"Where's the gun Victor?" Horatio asked.

"What gun?"

"The gun you used to kill, Jeffery Ritesmith, the pool boy."

"You're crazy lieutenant."

"Am I? You know what I think? I think you shot Mr. Ritesmith because you found him after he killed your sister."

After Horatio said that, Victor leaned back and smiled. Horatio looked at Ryan standing beside Calliegh.

Victor leaned back up and began, "I knew Victoria had been seeing someone. I just didn't know who. I saw his truck in her driveway and figured he was just cleaning the pool like he did every week. I walked around the back like I always did and saw him with the bloody knife. I knew what he had done.

"I had to do something and I knew that he kept a gun in his truck because he told me before not long after Victoria hired him. I just didn't know it was him she had been seeing. He hadn't seen me, so I went and got his gun and entered the kitchen and shot him."

"Victor, why didn't you just call the police? Instead you cleaned up and let the neighbors call."

"I panicked, okay! I thought I was doing the right thing. You'll find the gun and knife in my car."

"Oh, by the way Mr. Kase, Victoria was seeing my CSI out there," Horatio said and pointed to Ryan.

Victor looked at Ryan and mouthed, "I'm sorry," and Tripp made Victor stand to take him away.

Horatio exited and smiled at Ryan.

"Thank you H.," Ryan said.

Horatio slapped him on the upper arm, put the sunglasses on, and walked away.

Calliegh and Ryan watched him go then were surrounded by Natalia, Eric, and Walter. They all congratulated Ryan, even though he had lost someone he cared for.

But at least they had each other.


End file.
